HELP! Headlight Grounding... Dealers fault....

[LunchBox04V]

Hey folks. I need some quick help. Here is the background.
- Car is a '99 BK 2.2l.
- I hit a Raccoon and broke the lower lip of the bumper cover.
- Dropped the car off with working headlights (drove all night to get to Traverse City from Ann Arbor.).
- They installed a new bumper cover that was painted to match (insurance covered). Car looks great!

Now here is where it gets messed up:
- Driving the car back to Ann Arbor, it went from day to dusk to night. When I turned the headlights on, (no problems with parking lights on) I noticed the highbeam indicator was "half" illuminated.

I found this (on low beam):
- Left headlight both high and low beams on, running at "half" power. Very dim.
- Right Headlight low beam running normal, high beam running at "half" power.

With high beams on:
- Left headlight, same.
- Right headlight, high beam running normal, low beam running at "half" power.

Here is what I did:
- I disconnected the LEFT headlight male and female connector. (I Spliced the JDM pigtail to the USDM harnes).
- The RIGHT headlight went back to running normal.

My conclusion:
- There is a short in the LEFT JDM Projector.
- I believe that the headlight was damaged when they removed the headlights to change the bumper cover.

I called the dealership that did the work, and the first thing that they said was that they noticed that the headlights were "spliced." I told them yes, and they have been working GREAT till they did the bumper work. I think that it is a grounding problem within the headlight.

I was hoping that anyone could help educate me. HearsMyMind, I know you are like the JDM Projector god. lol When you guys post if any of you are a Subaru Tech please say so. They are trying to say that with the spliced headlights it is somehow my fault. I see them in a week. Any information would be very helpful, good or bad. Thanks everyone.

i had this problem too... i grounded my left projector to the right's power..

it worked for me

here: this might help (https://sl-i.net/FORUM/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=14655)

[Huffer]

Well, the spliced headlights ARE your fault...they're not stock items on a USDM Subaru, which is where you took the car after the accident.

Wouldn't it simply be easier to just retrace your wiring and make sure everything is good?

[LunchBox04V]

I know the retrofit is not stock. That is what they are really riding. As far as wiring, I ahve checked all the connections, and they visually look good. I don't have a multi-meter here in Ann Arbor, but when I take it to Traverse I can check the male JDM connector to make sure there is not a short on that end of the system. The only real reason that I am making a stink about all this is that the car went in with a broken bumper, and left with broken headlights. That is what bothers me. I don't want to blame them, but the lights worked when I dropped the car off, and now they don't.
And I am never taking my car there again. They told me that the Legacy L never came with covers where the fog lights go.... I found the part numbers for them within 5 minutes of looking on the internet. That did nothing better than through gas on my fire..... lol

[Huffer]

Yeah, sounds like they're going to screw you. They probably had a body tech just simply remove everything, reinstall the bumper cover and put all the stuff back however they wanted. As long as the car started, they were probably happy...

[LunchBox04V]

yeah, I know...... I am not in the auto industry, but if you take off the headlights, or anything, wouldn't you test it before you let it leave?.... I don't know, that just seems common sense to me, but you know. lol I will be very unhappy if they try and screw me. Though I was hoping to have a little ammo to go in there.... Try and fight back.

[Huffer]

The difficult thing is that you have to prove that they worked prior to taking it to them...and that they weren't damaged by the raccoon hit.

You could lodge a complaint immediately with the Subaru District/Regional Manager - stating that your car was modified to accept Jap-spec headlights (which are ISO approved)... etc.

[LunchBox04V]

Hmmm. I have 23 hours in Tallahassee. lol Gotta love scheduling.... I just might do that then. I know it is hard to prove..... Though, if they were damaged in the raccoon hit, insurance might cover them! lol Fat chance.... Well I am going to fight like a rabbid dag on this one. I hate it when people mess with my car!

Just for info, how does the headlight work (electrical wise) on the headlight itself? How is is grounded etc. If I can repair it, in the event they don't fix it, I would be interesed. I guess I did want to take them apart and black out the area around the projectors..... lol